Ole had no problem with that. He applied for the card and, when it arrived, called to activate it. That's when he learned that the three-month clock had started two weeks earlier, when he'd originally applied for the card.

Hardly seemed fair. But Ole wanted to know if it's illegal. In other words, does he have grounds to sue?

He can try, but I scoured Citi's card contract and didn't see anything that would stop them from this decidedly customer-unfriendly practice. I didn't see anything in American Airlines' offer either.

So I think Ole was smart to have immediately canceled the new card. I'd also advise him to find a new airline to fly. For more, check out today's Ask Laz video.

If you have a consumer question, email me at asklaz@latimes.com or contact me via Twitter @Davidlaz.